 |
| (Blacque_jacques) |
For the
first time, a Turkish boat will be taking part in the Amsterdam Gay Pride Canal
Parade on Saturday. The event chairperson, Irene Hemelaar, describes the
Turkish participation as a gain for Gay Pride. She says there are 20,000 gays
and lesbians of Turkish origin living in the Netherlands, but “they are
invisible because of the taboo on homosexuality in Turkish culture”.
Döne Fil,
who herself is a lesbian of Turkish origin, says the vessel will have its own
unique character. “Our red boat will be eye-catching, full of self-mockery,
humour and creativity,” and it will include Turkish carpets and satellite
dishes.
The boat
will also feature the Turkish flag, but this is causing quite a bit of
controversy among the 450,000 Turks living in the Netherlands. “Some Turks
believe this is completely unacceptable,” says Fil, “whereas others think it’s
a good idea to wave the flag. For Turkish gays and lesbians, the flag is also
very important. We’re planning to display it, but in an original fashion.”
The boat
will sail in Canal Parade as part of the celebrations marking 400 years of
relations between the Netherlands and Turkey. 150 people have signed up for the
90 places on board the Turkish boat. A total of 80 boats will be taking part in
the 16th edition of Canal Parade.
Related Articles:
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.